A Guide to Commonwealth Masters Scholarships

The Commonwealth Masters Scholarships give students from eligible Commonwealth countries the opportunity to study a fully-funded Masters. This also includes a monthly allowance of £1,378 (£1,690 in London) students can use for living costs.

The Commonwealth Masters Scholarship offers funding to talented Masters students from Commonwealth nations for a full-time or distance learning Masters at a UK university, depending on the scholarship scheme. These scholarships are a great opportunity if you're looking to study in the UK. You'll get your Masters fully funded and even receive a living allowance.

Today, I'm going to explain how the different Commonwealth Scholarship schemes work, what benefits they offer and how you can apply for funding.

Organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) on behalf of the UK Government, these scholarships are aimed at students from Commonwealth countries at various stages of development.

There are three main Commonwealth Masters Scholarships schemes. Which one you apply for depends on where you are from and where you wish to study your Masters.

• Commonwealth Masters Scholarships: Offered to citizens of low and middle income Commonwealth countries for a one-year taught Masters degrees at a partner UK university.
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarships: Offered to students who have not studied abroad extensively and would otherwise not be able to afford a full-time Masters in the UK. You must not have studied or worked in another country for more than a year. Shared scholarships are partially supported by UK universities and you must be enrolled into an eligible course to apply.
• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship: Offered to students to study a part-time UK Masters degree while living in their home country.

The eligibility criteria for all three scholarship schemes are largely the same. Depending on you circumstances, you’ll only be eligible for one of the three schemes. Once you’re sure which scheme applies to you, you’ll need to satisfy these criteria to apply:

• Be a citizen (or have been granted refugee status) by an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be a permanent resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Have a 2.1 undergraduate degree or a 2.2 undergraduate degree with a postgraduate degree.
• Be able to demonstrate your financial situation and that you wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford Masters study in the UK.

The financial assistance given by the three schemes varies slightly. As a general rule, the scholarships will be enough to cover tuition fees and some extra living costs.

Commonwealth Masters Scholarships

Successful applicants get:

• Full tuition fee cover
• Monthly allowance worth £1,378 per month
• Air fare to and from your home country
• Study-related travel expenses
• If you have children and are widowed, divorced or a single parent, you’ll be eligible for child allowance worth £576.61 per month for the first child and then £143 per month for the second and third child if they are under the age of 16.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

These scholarships are shared between your university and the CSC which means you’ll be getting some part of funding from the university. Your tuition fee is covered as part of an agreement between the CSC and the university.

The CSC funds:

• Airfare to and from your home country
• Thesis grants to help cover the cost of preparing your dissertation
• Study-related travel expenses

The university provides:

• A monthly allowance worth £1,236 per month

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships

Universities will offer a scholarship of up to £18,000 which should cover tuition fee and other expenses.

All applications are made to the CSC’s official online application platform. However, depending on the scholarship scheme you are applying for, there might be a few additional steps.

If you’re applying for the Commonwealth Masters Scholarships, you must apply through a nominating agency. A nominating agency puts forward candidates to the CSC for consideration. You can either apply through a national nominating agency or selected non-governmental organisations and charities.

Applicants for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships must have secured a place at a participating university on an approved course before applying directly through the CSC’s online application portal.

Similarly, Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships applicants should also have secured a place on an eligible course before applying for the scholarship.

To complete your application, you will also need to submit these supporting documents:

• Proof that you are a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country (like a National ID)
• Full transcripts from your previous degree(s)
• Two references

Once you’ve applied, the CSC will assess you on three main criteria. Your academic merit, the quality of your study plan/research proposal and the impact of your research on your home country.

Applications for the Commonwealth Masters Scholarship for the 2025/26 academic year closed on 15 October 2024. Applications for the other schemes are yet to open for the next academic year.

Applying for a Commonwealth Masters Scholarship is exciting, but let’s be real—it’s also a bit of a marathon. You’ll need patience, persistence, and probably a lot of caffeine. My first piece of advice? Start early. Don’t be that person scrambling for references at the last minute. Trust me, your professors will appreciate not getting an urgent email titled “PLEASE HELP” at midnight.

Choosing the right scholarship scheme is crucial. You don’t want to waste time applying for something you’re not eligible for—think of it like ordering food at a restaurant, only to realise you’re allergic to half the ingredients. Read the guidelines carefully and make sure you meet the criteria.

When writing your application, remember: this isn’t just about you. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission wants to see how your studies will make a difference in your home country. So, while it’s great that you want to study in the UK, make sure you clearly explain how you’ll take that knowledge back and put it to good use. World domination plans (however well-intentioned) might not go down too well, so keep it realistic.